


Someone help us please

by Thatweird_fangirl



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-01-24 12:01:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatweird_fangirl/pseuds/Thatweird_fangirl
Summary: Amy Santiago married her high school sweetheart at 20, she gives birth that same year.6 years later, the 99 learns about the domestic violence she has been dealing with in silence and they learn of her daughter who she has kept a secret.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 8
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

When Amy Santiago was 20 she married her high school sweetheart, Michael Montgomery, in what she would think for years to come in her dream wedding. Her closest family and friends, in the back garden of her parents' home where the flowers always seem to be in full bloom. She had a simple yet elegant white gown with a bouquet with white roses and delicate pink flowers. It was perfect and a memory she will carry with her for years. Her family was ecstatic and her brothers as excited as they could be considering their baby and older sister was now married. They of course gave him the talk about if they ever hurt her but she just laughed and rolled her eyes.

A month after their perfect wedding, his parents passed in a tragic car crash which would alter their lives forever. They found out that she was pregnant just weeks after. Whisky became his poison and the sober days slowly faded to a thing of the past and soon she would only remember him as drunk. She would always defend him though, he was in pain and suffering the loss of his entire world. He would say horrible things to her, accuse her of cheating and commenting on her figure. She cried in front of him once and he apologised just to tear her down an hour later. This hurt more than anything, to build her up then to tear her down. After that time she would only cry in shower or when she knew that he was passed out from whiskey.

8 months later she gave birth to their baby girl, Layla Montgomery, and she was perfect with her 10 fingers and 10 toes. Michael wasn’t there, he was passed out at home and so Amy had called a taxi and called her parents on her way there. When they asked where he was Amy would tell them that he was working. She couldn’t stand her parents pity and instead told him that he had gotten a job as a private bodyguard in order to excuse his absences. In reality he was often at home, stewing in his pity and drinking. Amy had learned along time ago to by his whisky in quantities so that if he ever ran out she could just give him a new one and keep track of how much there was.

With Layla only being a few weeks old and Amy being the only one to take care of her as Michael was always too drunk and would only complain about the noise when she would cry. Their savings were running out and quickly and Amy knew it was time to follow her dream of joining the police academy. She went to her parents with Layla early the next morning and devised a plan where her family would be able to watch her whilst Amy underwent the rigorous training and eventually the unusual shifts. With everything planned and agreed she signed up that day.

It was that same night she went home to Michael and told him what she had done, that was the first time he hit here. She didn’t know what to do, he lip was cut and she was shocked. She knew she should of told someone but he was drunk and it was a one time thing, he had never laid a hand on her before. But it wasn’t a one time thing but he did become more clever in his drunken state, it was like he evolved all those times he had passed out. And soon he stopped drinking, or well, there was less drinking. It was like he found his new drug, hitting her, building her up and tearing her down. He would tell her she was worthless and nobody would want her, that her pregnancy destroyed her body, that no man would want her now that she was disgusting.

He would aim for the ribs, he legs and her arms. She was sore all over and her bones ached but everyone assumed it was because of the training and she never corrected them. She was too scared after all the things he had threatened her.

She stopped wearing her ring in public and he never found out, she always remembered to put it back on before going home. She became smart once she was earning again, she would pick up extra shifts around the precinct under the ruse that she just wanted to make detective. He knew her salary and so she knew he wouldn’t know about any of the extra money she would be bringing in. She would immediately withdraw it from the bank account, which was in her own name and then transfer it to their joint account. She stored it in her childhood bedroom when she would pick up Layla. She started doing it in the hopes that one day she would get the courage to take her daughter and run far away from him.

He wasn’t interested in Layla and would barely listen or talk to her. The only thing that kept her there is that he never raised a hand to Layla. Layla was safe from his evilness.

Amy made detective and fast, and soon she transferred to the nine-nine where she would meet her new family, unbeknownst to her these people would change her life forever. She kept her head down, what she had done throughout her whole career, and get her work done. She found that to be difficult with her childish partner Jake Peralta. She didn’t know how to respond to hsi teasing at first, hadn’t been around for so long that she felt lost.

It was 2 years later when investigating a case, Jake had to get close inorder to pass as her boyfriend and nothing she could do could get rid of the smell of his perfume on here. When she got home, she rushed to tuck Layla in and when coming out of her bedroom he backed her into a corner and got close, too close and he could smell it. He threw her to the ground and he kicked her stomach so badly she thought he broke a rib, she tried to muffle her screams but some got out, and just as he was about to stomp on her ankle she saw the door to her daughters bedroom creep open just in time to see her daddy stomp on her ankle. Her eyes widened and she closed the door.

Once Michael had gone to bed she went to see Layla who she knew would still be awake. She told her that sometimes daddy gets angry, that mommy would be okay and that she couldn’t tell anybody what had happened cause mommy was working on fixing it and they could run away together like in the stories and they wouldn’t have to see him ever again.

When Amy came in the next day with a limp she would tell them all the she had simply tripped down some stairs and they would never mention it again besides a comment about her being clumsy.

2 years later, at the age of 6 Layla Montgomery would be brave like all the soldiers in her stories. She was scared, she could hear her mommies screams from the living room even though she knew her mommy was trying not to but daddy was hurting her again. She got her coat, the pocket money she had been saving for a year and her coat and bag. She knew her mommy was going into the bathroom soon because that's what she always done and daddy would storm out to get his adult drink. Once she heard both door lock and the shower turn on, she put her velcro shoes on and left. She ran out to the street and got into one of the yellow cars mommies called a taxi. The man looked confused but once I said where I wanted to go he turned back around and drove.

“The 99th precinct.” She said quietly but confidently.

When she was outside the building and threw her money his way, she didn’t know how to count it. She looked up and thought how much like a castle it looked like. She walked inside and went up to the desk and asked where they could find Captain Holt or Jake Peralta. She heard her mommy mention their names once to her grandma. The woman at the desk looked at her weird and told her she wants to go to the fourth floor. She went to the elevator and clicked the number 4. She was so scared and her mommy would be so angry but she only hoped that she would understand. She didn’t want her mommy to be in pain anymore. The elevators opened and it was so busy. Once she walked through the swinging door it was like everything stopped and everyone was looking at her. There was a tall man standing in the doorway of his office with his glasses in his hands. She began to walk to him 3 of her small steps meeting one of his. Holt began to walk towards her and once reaching her she spoke in her best big girl face.

“I want to report a crime” She tilted her chin up, showing that she only meant seriousness. He knelt down to be at her eye level. He nodded his head and she knew he wanted her to continue. “My daddy, Michael Montgomery is hurting my mommy and shes a police officer and she said that if she didn’t wake up I had to come here. She's awake but he keeps hurting her, and I don’t wanna hear screams anymore.” She was crying, the tears coming fast down her cheeks as everyone looked their way. She tried to ignore them and she ignored her tears, words were too important right now. “But he hurted her again and I snuck out and daddy should be mad but he doesn’t speak to me and mommy is going to be mad and daddy is going to hurt her again if he is mad at her.” He looked concerned. Why isn’t he helping her mommy. Did they know who she was? Did they know who her mommy was?

“Whos your mom?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Realization crossed her face, they didn’t know who she was. She looked to the right and she saw her mommy's favourite pen and her scarf and she knew they knew who her mommy was.

“My mommy?” She asked, the tears had stopped flowing. He nodded his head.

“Amy. Amy Santiago is my mommy.” There was silence and then there was commotion until she was in captain Holt's office with this lady with red hair and crazy personality. She knew she was trying to distract her but she could see what was happening though the windows and why were they grabbing their guns. She ran to the door and just as the lady grabbed her she screamed.

“Don’t hurt my MOMMY!”

She could see the sadness in their faces.

Across town Amy Santiago was getting out of the shower and into sweat pants like she always does. She went to check on Layla and it was like her whole world fell out from underneath her. She was gone, her piggy bank broken on the floor and her favourite coat was gone. She must've gotten scared but where would she go, she doesn’t know her way around she's only 6. She heard the front door open and close and Michael walked in with a bottle of whiskey in his hands.

“Wheres Layla?” She asked, her voice low and shaking, her raged badly masked.

He put his whiskey down and smirked. She gulped.

“What did you say to me?” He advanced towards her and he struck her. She fell to the ground and down came his foot. She couldn’t remember much after that. He landed a hard blow, she screamed, the door swung open and suddenly she was looking at Jake and Michael was in cuffs. It was like something possessed her. One minute she was on the ground and the next she was launching herself at him screaming.

“WHERES LAYLA?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Then she was being held back by a struggling Terry. Then the captain was in front of her telling her that Layla was at the precinct. The dots connected in her brain, she stopped her daughter was safe. Then suddenly she was falling, falling, falling and everything was swimming.

It was over, it was finally over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter Jake still has his Nana's apartment.

Amy Santiago was numb. She knew her lip was cracked, that her hair was matted, it hurt to breathe with what was most likely some cracked ribs and she was limping. She could feel a slight breeze sting at her cheek where there was sure to be a cut and her eye was starting to bruise. She felt the concerned stairs of her coworkers on her as she stood at the front of the elevator anxious to get to her daughter. There were so many emotions going through her head right now, she was scared for what this all meant, knowing she would have to go through trial and she couldn’t imagine the anger and heart break her family was about to go through. She was also scared for everything that was about to change, she would have to move out of her home due to it being solely in his name and he would no doubt make it so she wouldn’t live there. She was nervous for what her colleagues would say or do or what the captain would do. She knew they wouldn’t understand why she didn’t do anything, she was a detective after all. Layla was her biggest concern at the moment, knowing that her baby girl was so brave to come here by herself but also knowing that she shouldn’t get away with this without a minor punishment such as no TV for a few days or something. Deep down she knew she shouldn’t be grounded over this. The elevator felt like it was taking forever she just wanted her daughter back knowing how much she hates being in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. She felt all of their eyes on her, the captain stood in the back corner only looking at her a few times, Rosa stood right by her side ready to defend her at any point, ready to kill. Terry was with Michael on his way here for processing. Boyle didn’t know what to do, she felt him fidgeting relentless next to her and she just wanted to tell him to stop. Then there was Jake, who she knew was stood directly behind her, his eyes never left her since they stopped Michael from attempting to strangle her, that's what she thought it was anyway her neck was sore and she was unfortunately familiar with this sort of pain.

The doors were finally opening, once there was enough room for her to squeeze through she was out of there, running to the middle on the bullpen for her eyes to wildly search for Layla. It didn’t take long before the small girl was running into her arms. Her small arms squeezing around her ribs, she winced and felt Layla loosen her grip only for Amy to tighten hers again. She could feel Layla's tears through her hair.

“Mama are you okay? I’m so sorry, but I just couldn’t take it anymore and you were screaming and you usually don’t scream and I was trying to be brave like the knight in the story like you said would happen one day and then I thought that one day could be today and and and” Amy caught her in her arms as soon as she felt Layla start to lose her battle with her sobs. She pulled her close and sank to the floor in order to cradle her into her arms, rocking her back and forth and signing a cuban lullaby in her ear until she felt her cries lessen. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and she knew she had some explaining to do. She slowly stood up, only to struggle with Layla as her cracked rib only made it more excruciating. She saw several others go towards her to help only to shake her head, it would only hurt Layla more if she knew it was hurting her.

“Laylay, I need to speak to colleagues, I’m gonna sit you at my desk and you can do some colouring whilst I speak to them okay?” The small girl nodded and took some paper and a pen and began to draw.

Amy indicated for her colleagues to follow her to Scully's desk and they all surrounded. She kept a clear eye on Layla at her desk. “I know you have questions” She could see all of the questions in their eyes. She knew Jake and Boyle would be too kind to ask anything.

“Who is Michael” Rosa asked, her voice monotone yet serious.

“My husband”

She saw their gazes flicker to anywhere but her, she knew it was going to be a shock to them.

“How long have you been with him” It was Rosa again, Amy focused her attention on Rosa knowing that she would be the person to ask all the questions,

“Since I was fourteen, been married since I was 20”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I was scared, he isn’t a nice man and it was just so much easier to not say anything at all”

“How long has the domestic abuse been going on?”

She felt the group still at the question, she knew it was tense but she also knew that she would have to open up to them all eventually. She cleared her throat “almost 6 years” She felt the eyes on her “He started drinking almost 7 years ago, we were happy and had been for years and we had the most beautiful wedding and then a month later his parents passed away and that was that.” She shrugged, she could feel her tears in her eyes but she rolled her shoulders back and let out a breath. She felt Jakes hand on hers and he squeezed, she felt some reassurance go through her, some stability and some strength.

Next thing she knew there was a commotion coming from the elevator and suddenly Layla was at her side grasping tightly onto her shirt and hiding almost entirely behind her mother. It was Michael, resisting as Terry put him in the lock up. He was angry, angrier than she had ever seen him and it made a cold sweat ran down her spine. She felt Layla tighten her grasp on her shirt and Rosa and Jake step slightly in front of her, shielding them from his anger. It didn’t work though and soon he was staring at her, trying to charge at her and cursing her in soanish, threatening their lives with such vulgarity that even Rosa was twitching. She could hear her daughter making noises out of terror, she had never seen him like this before, the man who was meant to be her father. Amy turned around and keeled on the floor forcing Layla around so her back was to Michael, knowing she would be safe in that direction thanks to her human shield of Rosa and Jake. She forced Layla’s eyes on her by turning her head, her hands purposefully cupping her ears. She began to sing a spanish song, trying to cover up Michaels verbal abuse. The tears were rolling fast down Layla’s cheeks and Amy couldn’t blame her. Her poor daughter was only 6 years old and had already been through so much. There was a sudden silence as Michael stopped his struggles and the precinct grew deadly silent, Amy made contact with his cold, deadly stare and she swallowed the lump in her throat. He smiled sickeningly and her stomach rolled out of disgust. She had seen this look before, he got it before he started to beat her, when he was succeeding in tearing her down, when his hands were wrapped tightly around her throat when he would watch her eyelids flutter.

It was in that moment that she knew that he wouldn’t leave them alone, that nothing would be the same. She tried planning on what to do in her head. She couldn’t move back in with her parents, as much as she loves them and she knows they would insist, she just couldn’t live under the pressure of the Santiagos anymore. At the end of the day, she loves her almost freedom, free to watch whatever she would like on the Tv, to cuss like a sailor when she got an answer wrong she was so sure about on the many game shows she watched. She couldn’t ask her brothers, they all had apartments fit for the size of their families. She couldn’t impose on her coworkers like that. She did have all of that money she had been saving up for all these years for her and Layla to finally escape. However, now that he was in cuffs, she wanted to keep saving, it would only take half a year before she could potentially buy her own property, no more renting, just a place for her and Layla. She couldn’t ask her coworkers, she hadn’t told them of her daughter for the past however many years, she can’t expect them to offer her a place to live. She couldn’t go home, if she knew Michael at all, he would put the apartment on the market as soon as possible, just to spite her. That was the man her was. He would rather have her and their daughter homeless than have them living in his home without him.

Terry gave him a hard shove and led him the rest of the way to the lockup at the back of the precinct, the one reserved for when there was a worryingly amount of criminals in the main one in the bullpen.

Rosa and Jake turned to her, looks of worry etched on both of their faces.

“I-I-I need to go home he-he he’s gonna kick us out and when he does we won’t be allowed back in and I need to find somewhere for Layla and I and I need to get our stuff cause like I said he won’t let us back in and I can’t be homeless and have no possessions and it's just that he's vindictive like that, he like to win and he knows that this will make everything so much harder and we can’t go back there after everything that happened it isn’t home anymore it's just the place my husband beats me and ignores his daughter” she was rambling, she knew she was rambling and Rosa looked lost but Jake was holding on to every single word she was saying and she kept her focus on his kind eyes and Layla’s hand in hers.

Jake reached out and placed his hands on both her arms, centring her. She stopped and looked at him. Her breath coming out fast and he took dramatic breaths in and out until he felt hers match his. “Ames, its fine, we will go over there right away and grab some bags for you guys. And you won’t be homeless, I would never let that happen you guys can crash at mine.” With that said he gently nudged her towards the elevator “Rosa tell the Captain I took the say to help Santiago.” With that they were in the elevator, Jake stood beside her, closer than he normally would and Layla in front of her, her hands on her shoulders keeping her close. She could feel Peralta's fingers lightly brushing hers, she knew he was doing it to show her reassurance that everything would be okay and she appreciated it. It was helping her gather her courage.

The drive back to her apartment was silent as she was making a mental list of things they would pack. She knew they wouldn’t have long before there would be someone there demanding her key and that she leave the premises. When they pulled up outside, she felt her heart racing, looking out the window she tried to take deep breaths and it was failing until she felt his hand on hers. She turned to look at him and once she made eye contact with his big, generous brown eyes she felt herself relax. She was starting to realize how much she would be relying on him to help her. How much she would need him by her side.

She knelt down to be eye contact with Layla, grasping both of her upper arms so she would understand the importance with what was happening.

“Layla, I need you to get the biggest bag you can find and put everything that you love in there. If you run out of room come and grab me or Jake and we will get you another bag and help okay. It’s really important your quick honey because we aren't coming home” She could see her daughters bottom lip began to quiver as she started to cry again. “I know your scared honey, but it's time to be brave like the knight, cause were escaping” she tried to say it with enthusiasm, like they were going on an adventure “and we are gonna stay with Jake for a little while.” With that she grabbed Layla’s hand and they walked towards their apartment. It was eerily silent but there was a purpose to this. Amy had a list of things of most importance; Laylas baby box, her clothes, her photo albums, her grandmother's jewelry and then any other possession of hers.

When the door opened to her apartment, she rushed off towards the bedroom and Layla to hers. It left him to really observe what was around him. The air was stale and the blinds were drawn to a close, he figures they probably haven't been open in a while. He can see several empty alcohol bottles near one chair, along with cigarette ash and other little bits of rubbish. The rest of the area was spotless, he deducts thats where he would sit. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds, the light bursting through the window as if it had been trying to break through for some time. He looks at the decor and its nothing he associates with her, it's all beige and bland and boring. He walks over to the bookcase, he can see a few spanish books, a few of the classics and not much more which is shocking because he knows how much she loves to read. There are a few photos as well, one of them as teenagers laughing at a 4th July fair, her big glasses and even bigger smile, her eyes shining. Michael is almost entirely unrecognisable, he carries none of the harsh characteristics he saw not even an hour ago. The next photo he saw was of their wedding day, he assumes its just after they say I do because they’re stood there stood there, a priest in the background smiling at each other. She looks so beautiful with the ends of her hair curls, her white dress simple and stunning.

His attention is drawn to the hallway and he slowly makes his way over, he notes a few holes in the wall, the size of a fist. He walks past Laylas room where she looks frozen, her bag filled with teddies only and he smiles. He can see Amy move back and forth in the bedroom at the end of the hall, a woman on a mission and decided that she would be fine without him for a while. He knocks on the door frame of Laylas room so he wouldn’t startle her before walking in. She looks up at him and stares as he walks in and makes his way beside her.

“You okay Layla”

She nods, staring at him and silent.

“I se you’ve packed the important things” He smiles whilst indicating to her bag full of teddies.

She furrows her eyebrows, he knows she's thinking cause that's what her mom does. She decides against speaking and just nods.

“How about I get a bag and we finish up packing everything?” He asks, walking backwards towards the door. She nods and he heads off in search of bin bags, although it isn’t ideal it will do. He rushes back in because he suddenly realized they’re on a clock. Layla is sat on the bed staring at him as he empties her clothes messily into the bag. Everything he sees on a surface he puts in a bag until its full and he gets another bag. In under 10 minutes her room is done and he is carrying everything out near the door. Layla follows him out, watching him carefully as he looks around the living room before opening another bag, he goes to the bookcase first and empties the books and few photos into the bag. He goes into the hallway and takes the photos off of the wall and puts them in the bag. He stops in the middle of the room and turns, trying to see if he has forgotten anything of importance. Once he decides he hasn’t forgotten anything he ties the bag up and puts it with the others. Hes aware that Layla hasn’t stopped staring at him and decides not to say anything. He sits down beside Layla staring straight ahead.

When she comes out of her room, she gives him a look and suddenly he's on his feet, heading towards the door where he put the bags and they all walk about, Amy carrying her bags, him carrying Laylas and the stuff from the living room and Layla carrying her bag of teddies. When they're at the car they put everything in and then they’re off to his apartment. The drive is silent, everybody thinking about everything and nothing. Amy is staring out of her window, watching as the city goes by. He looks in his rearview mirror and sees that Layla is still staring at him with a furrowed brow. He’s wondering what's going on in her head. He hasn’t heard her speak to anyone since the precinct and that was a few hours ago. He hopes this incident hasn’t scared her voice away, he’s heard stories of people who have witnessed or experienced traumatic events and have never spoken again.

He pulled up outside his apartment and everyone grabbed their bags and hoisted them up. Once outside his door he placed his bags down and unlocked his door, letting Amy and Layla go first before following behind them and locking the door. He was feeling on edge and you could never be too safe.

Amy was shocked to say the least. She was used to Peralta being messy, and messy oh and did she mention mess and chaos. But what she was witnessing was anything but. His apartment was clean to almost her standards, not a dirty dish or cup in sight. Not a crum or wrapper on the floor and not a stain on any surface. Very minimal dust meaning that he must be due to dust soon. She was stunned and she knew it showed by the sheepish way he looked and her and shrugged slightly. She turned around again, she could see a bookcase, there were minimal books but there were books which was the important thing. He had another booked dedicated entirely to DVDs, she rolled her eyes she should have known. She could see photos on the mantle which she swore she would get a closer look at later, a nice TV. She was confused because the man she knew was in crushing debt but the apartment she was looking at didn’t show that at all.

“Peralta it doesn’t make sense, you desk, locker and car look like a landfill and yet your home is clean to standards that almost match mine, how does that make sense?” She asked, smiling at him. Ever since this morning, nobody has really been treating her the same.

“Just because every other aspect of my life is a mess does not mean my home is Ames” He said with a shocking seriousness. She just wanted him to be teasing her again or making some kind of lame joke. She had to admit to herself that getting to know this side of Jake was nice. Michael wouldn’t allow her to hang out with anybody after work except the times he would very rarely let her go to shaws, where she would only drink soda water so that she would know what was going on at home. She had only gotten to know him on the job and she couldn’t wait to get to know him so much better.

“So” he begins “There's my room and a spare room with a single bed, Layla can stay in there, you can take my bed and I’ll take the couch” He nods to himself and walks towards the spare room to put Layla's stuff in there. She looks to Layla who is still stood near the door, frowning and looking around. Layla follows him to the room and watches him from the doorway. This man is weird, she can’t figure him out and it's bothering her. The only men she’s ever men have been family, her abuela home schools her. What are people meant to act like, is this normal? The man who rushes around trying to help his Mama. He turns to look at her, the room is small but there's a window and a dresser. The bed is like the one she had at home but the walls are plain and so are the sheets. She sits down on the bed and he sits next to her.

“You okay Kid?” He asks. Layla looks down. “Yeah I wouldn’t be either after everything that's happened today, everything is changing and your staying with a man you just met and it's so scary. But if it helps, my dad wasn’t great either so I can relate.” She looks up at him at that. “If you need anything all you have to do is ask” He gasps in sudden excitement and it makes her jump slightly “Or we can make up our own code, like sign language, how cool would that be!” He gets excited and it makes her smile. She is starting to realize that he is not like her dad and she gets excited thinking about it. She nods and the grin she gets back is that of a 5 year old getting chocolate or something. “You ready to speak yet” He asks, she shakes her head no but does a hand action with it and he beams.

Amy overheard the interaction from the hallway and leans against the wall and smiles. This man is truly amazing and she just knows he's going to change their lives for the better.


End file.
